State-sponsored competition: US Department examines naturalization via TV show

Under the current US administration, no idea seems outlandish anymore. Not even the idea of ​​naturalizing people via a television show. A producer is proposing this to the Department of Homeland Security. It's supposed to be a competition, but not like "The Hunger Games." It's unclear how this fits with the anti-immigration agenda.

According to consistent media reports, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is exploring participation in a possible reality TV show in which immigrants would compete for expedited naturalization. As reported by CNN, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal, among others, the department has received a corresponding request from producer Rob Worsoff. Department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin stated that the concept is in the early stages of review. No decision has yet been made.

According to reports, Worsoff had already presented the concept to the Department of Homeland Security several times in recent years - including under former US President Barack Obama.

The format will feature competitions centered around American history, cultural idiosyncrasies, and civics. The working title is "The American." Worsoff, a Canadian immigrant who has previously participated in other reality shows, emphasized to the Wall Street Journal that it is not "'The Hunger Games' for immigrants." According to him, the format is aimed at people who already have a place in the US immigration system and are considered suitable candidates for citizenship.

US citizenship as a privilege

According to the New York Times, ministry spokeswoman McLaughlin expressed her support for the concept, saying it was a "celebration of what it means to be an American and the privilege of having U.S. citizenship." She added that the organization was open to "unconventional proposals."

However, the department strongly rejected a report in the British "Daily Mail" that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem supported the project. Noem neither approved it nor even submitted it for review, the department said in a statement. The department receives hundreds of TV requests annually, all of which are subject to a standardized review process.

At the helm of the Department of Homeland Security, Noem is more than almost any other member of the administration for the tough stance on US immigration policy under President Donald Trump. Civil rights organizations accuse the administration of violating fundamental principles of the rule of law with deportations – including to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. A visit by the secretary to the prison drew particular criticism: Noem posed in front of inmates who were visible behind bars. She repeatedly relies on such high-profile appearances – for example, on horseback, in cowboy attire, at the southern border with Mexico.

A government-sponsored competition show would fit in with the political style of the Trump administration, where politics and entertainment often intertwine. Real estate entrepreneur Trump once rose to fame in the US through the reality show "The Apprentice."